Dovetailing Intrests
by Cruxifixus
Summary: His name was Mark Loring. A once proud rock legend now reduced to writing catchy jingles for TV commercials and radio air time. Mark never really felt ready to be a father. Not until he met the 16 year old girl who wasn’t ready to be a mother. Please R
1. Dont Ask Dont Tell

Chapter One: Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Disclaimer: I don't own, claim to own or will ever own the characters or storyline borrowed for this fanfiction. I just play with the toys.

Mark sat in his studio, rocking aimlessly back and forth on his chair. The jingle he was meant to be writing for Cocoa-Brand cereal just wasn't working. He exhaled sharply and let the legs of his chair fall back onto the floor as he put his head into his hands. Spread out in front of him on the desk were piles of storyboards for possible ideas the marketing team had sent him. Harsh, Technicolor pictures stared up at him, all of happy smiling families complete with happy smiling children. He couldn't help it, he couldn't concentrate. All he could think about was Juno.

From the time she'd walked through the front door, he knew something was going to change. His marriage to Vanessa five years ago had started well enough but after 3 years of trying to conceive, things between them had turned fractious. After IVF had failed on it's forth round, every argument and raised voice seemed to escalate back to their lack of children. There were days when the couple would not speak, even reaching the point where Mark would feign sleep in bed at night so Vanessa could not pester him for sex. In the early days of their marriage, sex had seemed so easy and liberating. But as his wife became more and more desperate for a child, Mark began to see a different side to her. Every night he would feel her light touch across his back, reaching around to his groin as she kissed the back of his neck. He'd have thought it would have been everyman's dream to make love to a beautiful woman every night but things were going bad. He could remember the days when they'd lay in tangled sheets after hours of passionate sex but this wasn't the case anymore.

Juno, still only a child in the eyes of the law; was a positive breath of fresh air into the static-charged atmosphere of their home. She had seemed dismissive and off-beat as many 16 year olds often were but there was something else too, the genuine innocence of a scared little girl hiding under the attitude that bathed the room. Mark tried not to stare but something in her face pulled his attention back to her. As Vanessa sat sown next to him on the sofa, she put her hand on top of his. After a few seconds he pulled it away under the pretence of scratching his neck. The conversation between Vanessa and Juno seemed to float over Mark's head, he suddenly felt removed from the situation as if he had drifted out of his body. He didn't know whether anyone else could tell that he was so unhappy. But if they didn't know, it wouldn't be long until everyone involved found out.

"I just don't see why you are doing this now" Mark was leaning against the counter top, watching his wife pace about in front of him "I mean, we've entered into an adoption, a binding legal transaction and you say you want some space!?"

Mark took one last look at his wife and turned to leave the room. He walked back into the living room and poured himself a neat scotch from a bottle on the sideboard. He could still hear Vanessa screaming behind him, her voice quavering; almost at the point of tears. The alcohol was bitter in his mouth and it burned slightly as he swallowed. He had waited to tell his wife until he knew he had something to fall back on. The previous evening, they'd made love. It had been as passionate as when they were first married but there had been a reason for this. It wasn't Vanessa he had thought of as he laid between his wife's legs that night, instead it was Juno. He felt unable to keep the feelings that raged through him ever since he had met the mother of his future child bottled up any longer. Vanessa had thought all his desire was meant for her. He'd come to her after an argument that evening and folded her into his arms, pulling her close against him. Mark turned his wife around against his chest so she would feel the pressure of his erection pressing against her waist.

"We can't tell Juno" Mark's attention slowly fell back into the room "that poor girl is giving us her baby, if we tell her we are having problems, she could just turn around and decide to give it to someone else".

With these last few words, Vanessa dissolved into tears. Huge wracking sobs shook here slender frame, her dark hair falling forward in-front of her face. Mark had thought he would have felt like a bully but he didn't . Strangely enough, he felt almost free.

A/N: Well, that's the first chapter :) If you liked it or even if you didn't, drop me a review and if you want to be a super star, click on the box below and select 'add author to favourites' and you'll get a message when I update . Much love.


	2. Fold Yourself Against Me

Chapter Two:

Disclaimer: I don't own, claim to own or will ever own the characters or storyline borrowed for this fanfiction. I just play with the toys.

The hammering noise on the plate glass door rang through the house. As Mark bounded down the stairs, he recognised the outline of the person standing outside. Taking a deep breath to steady his racing heart, Mark turned the handle and let the door swing inwards.

Behind the thoughts of mingled curiosity and desire chased feelings tinged with doubt. Surely feeling this way about a 16 year old girl had to be wrong. Swallowing his moral objections about becoming sexually attracted to someone half his age, Mark smiled at the girl standing on his doorstep. As he pushed the door shut behind her he noticed something about her had changed, of course she has progressed further into her pregnancy but there was something else. It was almost as if Juno was trying to hide something, an air of false maturity clinging to her words.

Following her into the kitchen, Mark opened the fridge and took out two bottles. He slid one across the countertop and opened one for himself. Their conversation was light and casual, focusing mostly on his work and their collective taste of shared music. Every time she spoke, Mark felt himself drawn closer to her; a special mischief dancing behind her eyes.

Sat together in the living room, on the very sofa that he and Vanessa had once made love; Mark let the back of his hand rest against Juno's thigh. It was as if she was pretending not to notice the warmth of his skin permeating the fabric of her jeans. Not that this would condone his behaviour in anyway but at tat point, he felt like he'd never be able to stop. In his hands was a print-out from the ultrasound Juno had attended earlier that day. He hated himself for admitting it but he felt nothing, not one solitary feeling. Did this mean that he was really as selfish as Vanessa had accused him being during some of their more heated arguments? Maybe it did but wasn't that he'd felt about most things since the love between he and his wife had slowly melted away?

As Juno spoke, she moved closer to him; leaning her soft mass against him to point at small details in the picture. Her breath was warm and soft against his cheek, the small hairs along the back of his neck pushed to stand on end as a shiver whipped down his spine. Even though he twisted the picture round and round, he was still unsure as to what should be seeing, or for that matter; feeling.

A tingling sensation had started in the tips of is fingers and bean to gradually work its way up his arms. He could feel the roundness of her belly against his waist now, Juno still absorbed in pointing out the details that reminded her of the baby's father. She wore little make-up or very little that Mark could see, the sweet smell of what he thought was cherries; rose in soft clouds as she moved.

Hearing a change in music, Mark sat up and crossed the room to the expensive stereo by the fireplace. He slid the volume knob up two or three numbers and closed his eyes to fully appreciate the opening bars of the song. Juno too had moved from the sofa, she now stood directly behind him; her eyes trained on the bookcases filled with CD's.

Running her fingers along the titles, she leant closer to Mark but he was still unaware of her presence. Turning around suddenly, Juno was caught off balance and started to stumble backwards. With lighting fast reactions, Mark caught Juno's wrist and pulled her towards him; his spare hand catching hold around the small of her back. Juno stood still for a few moments, still unsure of what had just happened. Looking up into Mark's face, she saw that he was smiling; lines gently creasing at the corners of his eyes.

Asking if she was okay, Juno merely nodded but didn't take her eyes from his. Both of Mark's hands lay lightly on her back, gently pulling Juno closer to him. She didn't fight against the force at all, surrendering to the closeness and security she felt with him. Mark didn't really need to think about what he did next, whether it was wrong of not; he couldn't stop it happening and if he was honest with himself, didn't want to stop it. He reached up and brushed a strand of hair away from her face, tilting her chin back as he did so.

Juno felt the light brush of his lips against hers but didn't pull away. Instead, she pushed herself closer to him, letting her hands come to rest on Mark's chest. His mouth tasted sweet, a cool sweetness that was light on her senses. She felt his strong fingers in her hair, strongly brushing against the band holding her ponytail. She felt a strange warmth pool inside her, something she hadn't felt the night she had conceived the baby growing inside her.

Mark pulled away from the embrace and took Juno's face in his hands. Her eyes were glistening as he looked deeply at her, an expression of both apprehension and comfort spread across her face. What was she doing? Why didn't she stop? A sudden realisation hit her like a rush of icy water. But for some reason, Juno just couldn't drag herself away.

But something was going to end this and that something was the sound of their automatic garage door purring into life. Vanessa, it would seem; was home.

A/N: Well, that's the first chapter :) If you liked it or even if you didn't, drop me a review and if you want to be a super star, click on the box below and select 'add author to favourites' and you'll get a message when I update . Much love.


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